If you need it buy it. If having the "latest and greatest" is more important then wait.

Personally I'm waiting, but then I already have a system I'm comfortable with. Getting a new system for me is a convenience, a gift to myself, not a necessity. I prefer laptops, but I thought I would give an iMac a try, less money and bigger screen. It's a great system, and it serves my needs, but I really am much more comfortable with a laptop. So when merom comes out I'll get one, but until then I can wait.

If you need it buy it. If having the "latest and greatest" is more important then wait.

Personally I'm waiting, but then I already have a system I'm comfortable with. Getting a new system for me is a convenience, a gift to myself, not a necessity. I prefer laptops, but I thought I would give an iMac a try, less money and bigger screen. It's a great system, and it serves my needs, but I really am much more comfortable with a laptop. So when merom comes out I'll get one, but until then I can wait.

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Macbooks are slated for merom? I thought that was only the Pro models???

No clue about MB updates, but it's already a great laptop at a great price. Actually, if it weren't for the integrated graphics, it would bite into the MBP.

That being said, I'm not sure if they're update the MBs, since they'll probably want Merom in the MBPs to widen the gap between the two product lines. MBP customers really care about squeezing in more power, while MB customers are probably more focused on getting a laptop that works well at a good price. If Apple sticks with Yonah/doesn't update the MB line, they can either lower prices even more, or enjoy a better profit margin. They can't do the same with a Pro line, since they know that their Pro market will be demanding more and won't bite if Yonah is being used when Merom is available.

I can wait for Paris, but if these things aren't due out till November then I'm just wasting time and losing potential use. What's the general consensus?

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I`d say get it now. You might be waiting till sept. And if MB is not updated then we`ll enter the era of Merom MB next Tuesday. You wait another month hoping it`ll be released this tuesday. And finally you cant hold any longer and buy it in october only to find it updated couple weeks later.

But now that you`ve read my warning you decide to wait a couple more weeks hoping my guess might be right. You`ve waited so long. Why not a few more weeks. A month later, still nothing. Finally you get yourself the yonah MB in december as more waiting is not possible and you need the MB right now. A week later MB gets updated

Or you order the MB rite now and enjoy this beauty for 5 extra months. Thereby saving your self from all the irritation waiting might cause. BTW, now that you`ve bought the yonah MB, a week later it gets updated

MacBook's will not go merom for a while probably not until next summer, Think about it why should Apple bother updating a very fast computer as it will run leopard fine as well as windows if need be, the Macbook is already more than fast enough for the average consumer. As well as this when the MBP's get updated to merom later this year at least they will have something substantial to differentiate them from the consumer notebook.

Personally I would be very surprised if Apple update the MacBook before next spring/summer,

a "throwaway" computer?? how much money do YOU have that a $1300 purchase is classified as a "throwaway"??

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Not throwaway in the sense of literally throwing into the trash, but lemme raise an example.

Once I was researching on the ebay pricing of used PBG4s, and found that they go for ~ $2700 (in Australia), then I suddenly noticed an odd auction, very professional listing, good feedback, comprehensive responses to queries, with 2GB of ram! Ending only at $2300. Mind you, the other $2700 listings have quite a few where it is just a 20+ feedback seller with only text descriptions, no photos, no serial numbers listed, nothing!

Being curious I started reading the listing in detail, and found that it had a small ding on the side of the PB, somewhere underneath the hinge on the body.

With that example, I'd point to the PB (and MBP) as being machines with very elastic value. What's the intrinsic value of the thing? Likewise what's the perceived value of the thing? For the MBP/PB there is a high perceived:actual value ratio, however for the MB this ratio is much lower (not that the MB sucks). Hence that said, I'd be more confident buying a MB today and worse come to worse, sell it off when the MBP line gets updated or (who knows?!) even decide to stick on with it until Leopard instead! You can be pretty confident holding on to a MB as a "stepping stone" machine if that's what you are talking about.

Other case in point, I've used my CD Mini for a good 5 months before selling it off in preparation for the MBP that didn't materialise. It sucks. But for the whole 5 months of usage I only lost $100 or so (A$) worth of value. At $1 a day that is pretty damned worth it. In fact I wouldn't mind constantly doing that to keep my Macs under warranty!

MacBook's will not go merom for a while probably not until next summer, Think about it why should Apple bother updating a very fast computer as it will run leopard fine as well as windows if need be, the Macbook is already more than fast enough for the average consumer. As well as this when the MBP's get updated to merom later this year at least they will have something substantial to differentiate them from the consumer notebook.

Personally I would be very surprised if Apple update the MacBook before next spring/summer,

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I'm not sure this is decided solely by Apple anymore. If the price Intel gives Apple for Core 2 chips (Merom) is low enough then the Macbook will be updated with those (so 2.66 in the MBP and 2.0GHz in the MB - for example). I don't think this will happen before December though really.

I can wait for Paris, but if these things aren't due out till November then I'm just wasting time and losing potential use. What's the general consensus?

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Macbook came out in May so its quite concievable that we wont see an update this year. When we do I think we will see a dedicated graphics card as the Pros will be clearly in advance of them performance wise with chips and cards so Apple can tweak them up a bit.

Just buy it already, a Macbook is cheap and basically a more expensive of a throwaway computer like a Mini. Those of us who are waiting for a new MBP rev on the other hand....

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I'd have to disagree, the only thing that really differenciates the MB from the MBP is the screen size and graphics which don't justify the $500+ difference. I play Half-Life 2 via Boot Camp, and it runs perfectly fine.

One thing to bear in mind is that the MacBooks have had a lot of features added that the iBooks didn't have, so it's unlikely that they'll be radically changed in a next revision; probably a speed bump if anything.

There were times in the past that, say, the iBooks got a huge bump, where the processor speed was increased along with a lot more built in, like Bluetooth. That would have been the reason I would have been annoyed not to have waited (it sort of happened to me). It's not worth waiting out for a slight speed bump when they're already pretty fast and good value.

The only thing that I would say is worth waiting for is a Rev B model, in that they have ironed out a few issues by then.

Paris was pretty crap last year by all accounts. No keynote speech from Jobs and I think the biggest thing to shout about was a "new and improved" .Mac.

Don't hold your breath on lots of exciting things at that event.

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Very true, I think the main announcement's we see coming from Apple this year will be iPod related, Wouldn't be surprised if there is now no new hardware until January (apart from possibly a merom MBP).....

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